FROM A WELL TO BUILDING AN ECONOMY
Posted by Carol Carper (Evergreen) carper1337@gmail.com
Sasa Harambee-Kenya agricultural program is “making a difference”.
The year 2007 marked the quiet beginning to a revolution taking place in rural Western Kenya. George Oyeho, of the Utimishi Club of Nairobi, asked Carol Carper, of the Rotary Club of Evergreen Colorado, to help install a well in his home community of Uluthe, Kenya. The clean water from this well would supply a clinic serving over 2,000 patients a month and the surrounding community. That well was finally drilled by Engineers Without Borders in January of 2014.
George and Carol got busy. With several other partners, they formed a small 501c3 called Sasa Harambee-Kenya. George and Carol applied for, and received, several matching grants and a global grant led by the Woodbury, Minnesota Rotary Club and supported by seven District 5450 clubs. The community of East Oholo, utilized this assistance and the guidance of Sasa Harambee-Kenya to build an innovative, sustainable organic agriculture program. They first targeted 50 farmers. Tremendous early success in increased yields generated intense interest among other farmers. Paskalia Shikuku, one of the first and most effective farmers, used the program to train over 700 farmers. Since that time, over 400 of these farmers have applied the teachings and have proudly succeeded. They have food security, are able to pay school and medical fees, and are building new houses. This year, the farming area covered by the program had the highest yields of any in the entire area of 56,000 people.
Today, the implementation of sustainable agriculture has brought the people of East Uholo well past food security. They now produce surplus! The profit from surplus crops means money and the opportunity for entrepreneurial pursuits. Local farmers have begun businesses of poultry and fish farming, irrigated vegetable farming, and the cultivation of bananas and ground nuts (peanuts). All of these endeavors are organic and sustainable.
It is remarkable that the original project of drilling a well for a clinic has grown into an economic enterprise and community development program with the capacity to change lives for multiple thousands of Kenyans. This past summer, a large international Kenyan research program, The International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology, (icipe), invited Sasa Harambee-Kenya to partner in training an additional 2,000 farmers. Over the next two years, the influence of Paskalia and the original core of 50 farmers will grow, transferring the knowledge of sustainable organic agriculture, and advanced, “Push-Pull” grain cultivation methods. “Push-Pull” cultivation controls pests by using repellant “push” plants and trap “pull” plants. A primary funder of this program is the European Union.
Because of the infrastructure that has formed around the East Uholo agriculture program, the Siaya, Kenya County Government has also become interested in the project. They are especially focused on “value-added agriculture”. This involves the development of manufacturing processes that enhance the value of primary products and moving them to markets. They are proposing to start a business incubator in the community under the guidance of Sasa Harambee-Kenya. The plan for the business incubator is in its primary stage. However, the Siaya, Kenya government sees itself as a partner with Rotary in the project and the Australian government will provide initial funding.
The September 2012 issue of the Rotarian on Africa and Feeding the World identified the Sasa Harambee-Kenya agricultural program as “making a difference”. Rotarians guide this program and they model the Four-Way test on a daily basis. The changes in East Oholo, Kenya are an incredible example of how Rotary does indeed change lives.
Carol Carper, along with Evergreen Rotarian Curt Harris, are leading an educational tour of the project from February 3-7th. You are welcome to join the tour and see the best of Rotary in action! Call or write for more information. Ccarper1337@gmail.com or 303 895 5829.